


More Like the Rest of My Life

by frostfire95



Series: Captain Haught and Princess Earp [2]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-21
Updated: 2020-11-29
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:07:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27587224
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/frostfire95/pseuds/frostfire95
Summary: It's been a year and a half since Waverly jumped and kissed Nicole for the first time. And somehow, against all odds, it's worked out. Eighteen months, three weeks, and four days. And now it's time for the wedding. With the most stringent of safety protocols that Nicole can manage. But it's happening. And whatever comes after is going to be amazing.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Wynonna Earp, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Series: Captain Haught and Princess Earp [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2016611
Comments: 7
Kudos: 45





	1. I Will Be By Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three days until the wedding. Three days until Waverly can call Nicole her wife. Three more long, agonizing days of nerves. No matter what Wynonna, or even Nicole, tells her, she can't help feeling anxious. Even after a year, this still somehow felt new. But she was beyond happy. The happiest she'd been in a while. And the wedding was going to go off without a hitch. Got it?

"Wynonna, come on. We agreed to this weeks ago. I want you to be the one walking me down the damn aisle. And as the heir, you've gotta look presentable. Even if no one outside of the family is going to be there."

"Yeah, what's that about? I know Red wants things to be safe and all, but Mercedes isn't even allowed? She's practically family."

"But she's not from here. She will be at the reception though. It'll be fine." Waverly fidgeted with the dress, still not quite sure if it was the right one. Wynonna noticed and sighed.

"Relax baby girl. You and Haught are perfect for each other. The whole damn place has to avert their eyes when you two come strolling down the halls. It's nauseating how adorable you two are. And she's going to love the dress." Wynonna adjusted the headband on Waverly's head, smiling fondly at her little sister.

"You really think so?"

"Dude, don't be a dumbass. She'll love you in it and I'm sure out of it as well." Wynonna winked and nudged her a little. Waverly couldn't help blushing a little.

"Wynonna, come on."

"Hey, you're an adult, she's a giant adult. And some doors aren't as thick as they should be in the middle of the night." _Oh no._ That wasn't what she needed to hear, "And you'll be happily married in three days."

"Three days. That's right. I can do this."

"Easy peasy. Nicole will think she's seeing an angel when she sees this." Waverly spun around a little, laughing when the dress flared out a little at her feet. She really did love this dress. And was glad she'd found it in Momma's things. It was her something old, "Now get changed. Pretty sure you've got a standing lunch date with Captain Tree. She'll worry you went missing and send a search party after you." Waverly smiled. It was mostly a joke, but after the Del Rey brother's had tried a couple more things in the last year, Nicole wasn't taking any chances.

"You're just jealous. Help me with this please." She turned around, moving her hair over so Wynonna could get to the buttons. She changed back into her normal clothes and pulled on her shoes, "See you at dinner?"

"Duh. Not like I'm going anywhere. I'm not allowed to."

"For your safety Wynonna. Don't pout."

"Not pouting. Just mourning the loss of my social life. Maybe I'll find Dolls or Doc to spar with. That's always fun."

"How have you still not made a decision with them? It's just not nice."

"We've had our adult discussion about things. It's fine."

"I'm sure it is. See you later." she waved and headed out. Wynonna hadn't been wrong. She was running a little late. And she hated doing that to Nicole. She already went out of her way to make time for these things and they were never long enough.

"Hey baby, sorry I'm late." Nicole stood up from her seat (like she always did), smiling when she saw Waverly. Those dimples still made her heart race.

"Don't worry about it. You were with Wynonna right?"

"I was. Just some last minute things." She sat down, sliding in close. Nicole took her hand and ran her finger around the ring she'd given to Waverly eight months ago.

"Wedding things? Because I told you, I had all the security handled and we won't have any problems."

"Not at all. I know you've made this the safest event the kingdom has ever seen. An errant fly won't be able to buzz it's way in. And Jeremy has everything else figured out and will be ready to go for us."

"Us." Nicole wove her fingers between hers, still smiling a little, "So, how's about we skip lunch today and just go for a walk or something? Just the two of us." She wanted to, but her stomach grumbled a little, giving her away, "Did you skip breakfast again?"

"Maybe?"

"Waves, we've gone over this. You've gotta eat. I know the planning is taking up a lot of your time, but it's important. We can walk later. Eat something." Nicole uncovered the plate that had been sitting on the table. Waverly was maybe halfway through her salad when Xavier found them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt. Captain, something has come up. We need your advice on how to handle it."

"Of course. I'll catch up with you in just a minute." He nodded and backed out. Nicole sighed, her easy smiled fading a little. Waverly hated it. She knew that Nicole's job was important, but when she wasn't working, on those rare occasions, she finally let the tough exterior drop. And Waverly loved seeing it, "I'm sorry Waverly. I need to see what this is about."

"I get it. Go. Keep us safe. I'll see you at dinner later."

"It's actually Henry's rotation there tonight. I'm on gate duty."

"Right. That's alright. Tomorrow for lunch then?"

"Definitely. And then every lunch after that." Nicole gave her a quick kiss, somehow still taking her breath away after all these months. Waverly stood on her tip toes to kiss her back, smiling as Nicole walked away.

"Love you!" she called after her.

"Love you too." she said over her shoulder, the door closing behind her. Waverly sighed and finished her lunch in silence. Three more days. And she and Nicole were off on their honeymoon. She'd guaranteed it. She headed to the library, really nothing else planned for the day. Jeremy had booted her from setting up, wanting it all to be a surprise. And she trusted him to handle it.

The library was empty, as it usually was, and she sat at one of the tables she'd claimed as her own. She'd been doing research about the Del Rey's and their past. Because they were irritating on a good day. And dangerous as hell on a bad day. She'd been trying to help Nicole figure out why they seemed so hell-bent on coming after the Earp's. Because it had to be personal. They just hadn't quite figured it out yet. She curled up in her chair, settling in with the latest volume. Neighboring kingdoms and past alliances with them. Always fun to revisit history. It was also insanely easy to lose track of time.

"Hey, little sister! You ditch me for a bunch of books?" Waverly looked up from the pile, rubbing her eyes. She glanced over at the window. Whoops. The sun had gone down.

"Sorry." Wynonna shoved a few books over and sat beside her, looking over some of the notes.

"What are you even looking at? If we were in any sort of trouble from our neighbors, I'm sure Haught would be all over it."

"I know. It's just something to do. It's quiet in here."

"It's quiet everywhere. It's a big palace dude. Lots of space. And once this whole Del Rey thing is figured out, we can go out and about and explore places again. Get history that way. I promise."

"I know."

"Aaaand, you and Nicole are going on a little honeymoon after the wedding. She got it all figured out with Dolls and Doc remember?" Wynonna nudged her, trying to get her to relax a little.

"I know Wynonna. We've just gotta get through the next three days."

"It'll be easy. Did we not discuss this literally a few hours ago? Everything will be fine and you will be married to the tallest person around. She'll be able to reach all the top shelves you can only dream about. And those sad excuses of brothers, they were here like two months ago. There's no way they've put anything together so quickly to ruin it. Come on, let's go get you something to eat." Wynonna pulled her up. She grabbed one of the books at random and followed her out.

Three more days. Practically two at this point. It'd be easy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little shorter than previous chapters, buuut it's just more or less introductory stuff again. Pretty sure other chapters will be a bit longer.


	2. That Sounded Much More Romantic In My Head

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning for this wedding has been one of the hardest things Nicole has had to do as captain. But it's been worth every single headache that has come with it. Every single late night, early morning, and everything in between. It's all been for Waverly. To see the smile each day at lunch. To know that she somehow, against all odds, is going to marry her in two days. Because it will happen on time, as scheduled. The Del Rey brothers were not going to interfere with this day.

"Xavier, I need to double check the schedule. Make sure every position is covered while we are otherwise occupied."

"Captain, and I mean this in the most respectful way possible, you've checked it seven times in the last four days. Nothing has changed and even if it has, you've got three back-up plans." He slid the paper away from her, looking a little concerned for her sanity. She glared, but didn't say anything about it. She had been working so hard on this and was trying to make sure every scenario was prepped for. With her, Xavier, and Henry more or less off for the day, it was up to literally everyone else to pick up the slack. Watch the doors, do the rounds, patrol the grounds. All of it.

"Is she still trying to micromanage all of us?" Of course Henry would show up now too. She really needed to try and separate them more. They ganged up on her far too much.

"I don't micromanage. I organize and delegate accordingly."

"Every minute of every day. For years now. We've got the wedding day covered. Everything will go off without a problem and you will go one your honeymoon with your beautiful wife and we will take care of the wild one you leave us with."

"You guys can handle that thought right? She is a lot. And you know she's going to have Mercedes here. Maybe Rosita for the hell of it. Does she have any other friends or close acquaintances she could invite? It's Wynonna. I don't remember who she hangs out with anymore." Well that didn't make it sound like she was doing her job well, "Fuck. I mean, I know who her friends are and that none of them are a threat here, but still. Anyone we need to be concerned about?" She looked back and forth between them, moving her hair out of her face. She'd let it grow a little bit in preparation for the big event.

"You need to take a break Nicole. Maybe for the next couple days even. Spend some actual, quality time with your fiancee. And maybe her sister, who is going to be your family too. They are a package deal."

"Oh I know. But I am close with Wynonna now. More so than I ever was in the past. And I can't just abandon my duties here. Randy chose me and I've gotta do this right."

"You've been doing it right for years now. He's proud of you, and he has said as much. But he also wants you to have a life. That was his regret remember? Not spending enough time with his daughter. There's more to this than just protecting a palace."

"Protecting the palace protects Waverly." It was the most obvious thing in the world to her. Keep the doors safe, keep Waverly (and she supposed Wynonna) safe. This is why people didn't get involved with their charges. It just made things so much more complicated than they needed to be. Even if it was absolutely worth it. Because it was Waverly. Just thinking about her made Nicole smile a little.

"It does. Yes. And you've done almost more than humanly possible. Take a break. Go for a walk, read a book. See if you can find that damn cat of yours. We keep finding fur and small animal carcasses, but neither whisker nor tail of the beast."

"Calamity does her own thing and I let her. She's fine. But fine. Fiiine. I'll let you two take over. Might as well since it'll be your turn in a few days. We'll call this a trial run. But you fuck it up and you're stuck being training dummies for the new recruits. Understood?" she stood up, brandishing her pen as menacingly as she could.

"Yes ma'am. Go on. Waverly is around here somewhere, waiting to be swept away by you." Xavier had been one of their biggest supporters from the start and that hadn't faded at all. She was beyond glad he'd pulled through the last attack. It had been close with the fire, but he was tougher than he looked, somehow. Nicole smiled, knowing full well that they were more than capable of doing her job. It was just hard to let someone else take over.

"Okay. Okay, yeah. But if you guys need something, find me." they nodded and she left them to it. She nodded at the few people she passed, smiling more and more when she saw the various flowers and other decorations all over. Jeremy had been doing his best to make sure the whole place knew what was going on.

Nicole stopped by the kitchens first. Waverly got snacky in the afternoon and there were usually some baby carrots lying around. Nothing. Throne room next.

"Hey! Haught! C'mere a second. I could use your altitude." Wynonna was standing on top of a chair, trying to reach a pennant on the wall. Nicole went over, steadying the chair before it fell.

"Wynonna, what are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself. If this is some scheme to keep from having to give your sister away, she's going to be devastated." Wynonna scoffed, dramatically flipping her hair into Nicole's face.

"What is with you two thinking I want to weasel out of that? It'll probably be the most important thing I do around here. No higher honor. She's my baby sister and I would never do anything to hurt her like that." She pulled out her gun, trying to use it's extra length to reach the fabric she was aiming for. Nicole sighed. She pulled up another chair and climbed up beside her friend.

"Okay. Fair enough. So what are you doing up here? Why do you need this?" She grabbed the corner of it and yanked it down. It fell onto Wynonna's head, briefly blinding her. She swung around, almost toppling over both their chairs before steadying herself and yanking it off her head, sputtering a little.

"You did that on purpose Red. Not a nice thing to do your boss." But she was laughing.

"Sure. To my boss maybe. But it did seem like the sort of thing to do to a sister. Right?"

"Gross. That's right. You're going to get real tired of me real quick Haught. I'm warning you now."

"If that were going to happen Wynonna, it would've happened already. You and I, we're stuck together. As long as that angelic doofus is around to bind us. Now answer the question. If you're going to be doing stupid shit around here, someone needs to be around to make sure you don't break your neck."

"I would never. My neck is too good looking to break. But I wanted this. Was going to rip it apart and make a little sash for Waverly's dress. For her something blue." She waved it around, already starting to tear it a little.

"Isn't it important to the kingdom history or something? Would she really want you tearing it to bits?" She climbed down and sat in her chair.

"She won't worry about this. It's not even an Earp thing. See here, this C in the corner? It's from the family that was here before us, whoever they were. We just kept some of their stuff around for the hell of it. She could probably tell you all about them. Here, hold this corner." Nicole laughed and grabbed on to it. Wynonna gave it a hard tug and it tore along one of the seams, tossing a piece at Nicole, "Perfect. Thank you for the help. Go on. Go find my sister. I know you were looking for her."

"Any ideas on where she is? I haven't checked the usual spots yet, but if I could avoid doing laps, that would be great."

"I thought laps were your thing. But maybe the garden? I know she wanted to soak up some rays. Get that 'sun-kissed' look in time for the big day." Nicole smiled just thinking about it.

"I'll start there I suppose. See you later Wynonna."

"Bye Red!" Wynonna waved and got back to tearing the fabric to bits. Nicole shook her head at her and went on her way. The garden it was. She'd come to like it more over the last year or so. Didn't feel quite so ominous when Waverly was there too.

"Waves? You out here?" she called, walking between some of the trees.

"Over here!" Nicole followed her voice to a little pond. She was sitting on the ground, very unprincesslike, tossing pebbles into the water.

"What are you doing out here?" Nicole sat down beside her, tossing her own pebble.

"Just thinking. What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be working?" She leaned over, resting her head on Nicole's shoulder.

"I was kicked out. Apparently I'm overthinking things and need to take a break."

"Can Xavier or Henry really kick you out of anything? You're technically their boss."

" _Technically_ no. But they were right. If I looked at another schedule, I was going to start speaking in numbers or something ridiculous." Nicole leaned her head to the side, resting it on Waverly's.

"I'm sure I would have been able to figure it out."

"I'm sure you would have been able to too. You're smarter than most of us combined. But why make this more complicated than it needs to be? English works just fine. Wanna take a walk?"

"Sure. Help me up." Nicole stood and held her hand out.

"Always." she pulled her up and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Waverly giggled a little, but didn't say no. Nicole bent down a little to reach her, smiling. They started walking in a random direction, hand in hand, not saying much of anything. They didn't need to. Just being around each other was enough. They headed back inside once it started getting dark. Neither of them had any light and the moon was nowhere near full enough to even try to see by.

"There the lovebirds are. Thought you ran off to elope."

"And take away the 'highest honor' we could give you? Not a chance." Waverly sat down beside her sister and Nicole leaned against the wall, looking around the room. Everything seemed alright. She'd eat later, when she wasn't on duty. She watched the sisters bicker back and forth over random things. Wynonna every now and then tried to draw Nicole into the conversations, but Waverly reminded her that she was working.

"Hey, it's possible to multitask. If I can balance on a chair and pull down a piece of fabric, she can chat and watch a room with one point of entrance."

"You forget the windows Wynonna. Each one is it's own entrance to a determined person." Nicole pointed at each window.

"Why were you balancing on a chair?"

"It's a surprise. Don't worry about it. I didn't get hurt. Your wife made sure of that." Waverly blushed a little and that made Nicole smile more.

"Just doing my job. I'd never hear the end of it if something happened to you on my watch. My reputation would be ruined. Not to mention I'd be out a sister."

"Sure Red. Because part of your job description is climbing on a chair and reaching tall things. That's exactly what it says on your resume. Right under 'protect the royal family'. But I'll leave you be. Keep us safe. Before your vacation." She laughed and glanced at each window again. She couldn't be sure, but she thought she'd seen something flicker outside one of them. But she was clearly imagining things, because there was nothing there now. Dinner wrapped up and Nicole watched them go off together. She assumed it was more dress stuff she wasn't allowed to be part of. That was fine. She'd catch up with Waverly later.

She made her way back to her room and sat down on the bed, picking up one of the books Waverly had left in there. She was still trying to help with the Del Rey brothers, apparently thinking that kingdom history would help. But it was something to read that wasn't invasion strategies or advanced combat. It was actually kind of interesting and she was so engrossed in it that she almost, _almost_ , didn't notice when her door opened and Waverly tried to sneak in.

"You didn't answer when I knocked. I thought you fell asleep." She moved over and Waverly climbed onto the bed beside her, glancing at the cover of the book.

"Not this time. I didn't do enough today to warrant passing out so early." She marked the spot with the bit of fabric Wynonna had given her.

"Well I've hardly been able to sleep as it is. I can't tell if it's because I'm excited or nervous. Maybe some combination of the two?" Nicole reached up behind her and pulled the extra blanket down from where it was hanging on the headboard. Waverly was always cold, especially in this part of the palace. Waverly sighed a little when Nicole wrapped her up, scooting as close to her as she could, putting an arm around her shoulders.

"I've noticed. You've been tossing and turning a lot more in the last couple weeks. Didn't want to say anything though."

"It'll be fine. I know it will be. I just can't help feeling like this. I've never had this before."

"Neither have I. But I know it's going to be perfect, okay? We're going to get married and live happily ever after. Just like in the stories you read as a kid."

"Even with the Del Rey brothers out there? Planning their next moves on the Earps?"

"Especially with them out there. We live happily just to spite them. Because you know that anything good that happens around here drives them nuts."

"More nuts you mean. Because they are already a little loony."

"I know they are. And we're prepared for them. And whatever mysterious ally they seem to have aligned themselves with to keep getting in here. We'll figure that out and then it'll be all over for them."

"Yeah. Their ally." Nicole could hear her frowning.

"It'll be fine Waves. Really." She kissed the tip of her nose to distract her. Waverly responded by moving her head and kissing her fully on the lips. Those archaic 'rules' about engaged couples staying away from each other were fully ignored when they were together. If Nicole wanted to kiss Waverly, she was going to kiss Waverly. Among other things. And that was no one's business but their own. Tonight though, Waverly seemed content with kisses and cuddling. And that worked for Nicole.

"What's this?" Waverly gently pulled on the fabric marking the spot in the book.

"That is the reason Wynonna was standing on a chair. I'm not sure I'm allowed to tell you more. It's for a surprise."

"Huh. What's this little marking on it?" She pointed to the corner that was sticking out. It looked like part of the C Wynonna had pointed out earlier.

"I think it's part of a crest. But I really couldn't tell you which one."

"That's fine." She stared at it, lost in thought. Nicole closed her eyes for a second, finally relaxed. At least, she only meant for it to be a second. When she opened them again, her lights were basically out. Whoops. Hadn't meant to do that. She reached her arm to the side to check on Waverly, but felt only air. That was odd. She pushed herself up onto her elbow and looked around. Waverly wasn't in the room. Okay. She must've made her way back to her room. For whatever reason. She was close to just lying down and going back to sleep when she heard something echoing outside. Kind of sounded like thunder. A little bit. She groaned and rolled off the bed, pulling her boots on. She looked out her window, wondering how close the storm was. But there were no clouds in the sky. Not a single one. The sound echoed again, a dull boom from somewhere in the palace. With a bad feeling rearing it's head in her gut, Nicole picked up her gun and sword belt, walking to her door. Everything was quiet in the hallway, not a soul in sight. Until the thing boomed again, followed by a crash this time. And then a familiar sound. The scar on her leg twinged a little when she recognized the sounds of gunfire.

"Shit." She started running. The captain's room was closest to the monarch's, for obvious security reasons. God she hoped Wynonna had gone to bed like a normal person for once.

"Captain, what the hell? I may not need beauty sleep, but some folks around here do! Could we keep the banging to a minimum?" Wynonna's door was thrown open and she poked her head out, looking around. Nicole heard footsteps fast approaching from behind her and she sped up, shoving Wynonna back in to her room and slamming the door shut. Wynonna looked ready to say something, but shut her mouth when she heard the gunshots. And following cracks of the bullets hitting her door.

"Oh. So it's that kind of party tonight Got it."

"Not now Wynonna. You know the drill." Nicole didn't flinch when something heavier than a bullet hit the door. It was solid wood with iron holding it in place and would take quite some time for a person to break down, but she wasn't going to stick around to see just how long.

"Yup. Into the secret room with the secret tunnels that lead to an even more secret, secure hidey hole for the royal family. Got it." Nicole was relieved Wynonna knew when to take things seriously. Nicole hit the spot on the wall that opened the secret door. Wynonna grabbed the bag Nicole had made her pack for these occasions and led the way through, "If these shit tickets think they're going to get away with trashing my room again, jokes on them. It's already a mess." Well okay. Mostly seriously.

"I know. They're going to be devastated. Move it." The wall sealed behind them and Nicole gently shoved Wynonna forward.

"You could just say you want to get there when Waverly does. I'm walking as fast as I can." Nicole sighed, shivering a little. The tunnels weren't the warmest and she hadn't thought to put on anything over her tank top, "Though I am shocked she didn't come barging in with you. I know she was going to at least stop and say goodnight to you earlier."

"She did. And then she went back to her room."

"Fair enough. Sooo, what do you think is happening out there?" Wynonna motioned behind them, sounding only a little nervous.

"I don't know. I got to you first. Once you and your sister are settled, I'll get back out there and figure it out for you." She opened another door to get them to the actual safe room. This tunnel just led to another hallway on the other side of the palace. On the off chance someone ever found it, they'd still never find the royals. Wynonna sped up a little. They both wanted to make sure Waverly got there safe.

"Captain! Wynonna! Good, you made it. They made right for your room this time. No messing around." Xavier was pacing the small room. He had a cut on his face, but seemed otherwise unharmed.

"Yeah, no shit. Where's Waverly?" Wynonna looked around. It wasn't a big room so it wasn't hard to figure out that she wasn't there.

"Henry is grabbing her. They should be here shortly."

"Great. Think you're ready to go back out there? I'll stick around until they get back." She knew that she should be the one going out there to help her people, but she just couldn't. Not yet. And Xavier didn't question it.

"Absolutely." he nodded to both of them and left through one of the other doors. Wynonna sat on one of the cots, stretching out. Nicole couldn't stand still. She paced back and forth, tapping her fingers on the hilt of her sword, counting the minutes in her head. Almost four had passed when she heard footsteps. One set of them. Wynonna heard too and sat up. Henry came in the room, looking around, his face falling a little.

"Where's Waverly?" Wynonna beat her to it by a second.

"I had been hoping she was already here. She was not in her room so I assumed she was with you Captain." This wasn't happening. Not now.

"Fine. What's going on out there? What am I running into?"

"It's those damn brothers again. And they seem to just keep multiplying their numbers, making friends to make our lives more difficult."

"Henry! Numbers! Or something. Ideas, thoughts, any sort of information would be greatly appreciated here." Nicole did her best to keep her voice level, but it still got a little loud at the end.

"I do not know the exact numbers. I know they broke through the main door, with far more people than we could have prepared for. They split off in several directions, not just for the princess's rooms. Xavier and I came down here right away and I left again to get check for Waverly. If she didn't show up with either of you, she'd be in her room."

"So basically, we've got no ideas. Awesome. You stay down here, keep Wynonna from running out after me. You have my express permission to sit on her if need be. She is not to leave this room until someone gives the all clear. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Haught, I'm not kidding around here. Find her. In one piece. Or you are so beyond fired." Nicole looked over at Wynonna. If she could, she'd be right behind her.

"We'll be fine. We've got a wedding in a 36 hours." she made sure the door closed behind her and she started running. She came out in the hall closest to Waverly's room, sword in hand. She didn't recognize the person running at Waverly's door. He didn't see her coming and she knocked him to the floor.

"Not today pal. Care to give me any indication of how many of you I'm going to have to deal with tonight? Ballpark it if you can't count that high." He squirmed a little, trying to break free, but she was bigger and angrier than him, "No? Fine. I'll figure it out on my own. Hope the floor is comfortable enough for you." She punched him and he went limp.

"One down. Now, Waverly, where would you possibly go at two in the morning?" Where would Waverly be if not her room? She had snacks in her room for the middle of the night. She knew not to go in the garden alone. And it hit her, "Library. Duh." She took off again, skidding around corners. There were far more people running around at this hour than there should have been. And most of them were not friendly. She ducked punches, knocked guns out of hands, helped other guards up. She barely felt the scratches from other weapons. Or the scrapes when she was shoved into the walls or floor. Nope. The door to the library was hanging open, half off it's hinges. She heard a high pitch scream and panicked for a second. And got an elbow to the face for it.

"Son of a bitch. Really?"

"Not much of an early riser are you Captain? Been a little distracted lately? Making important plans?"

"So this is what it takes to draw out Bobo Del Rey. Can't say I'm too pleased to see you. Your brother here too?" she rubbed her jaw. That was going to bruise for sure.

"He's hitting the books. A little curious about some royal lineage."

"If you think either of you will touch a hair on the princess's head, you're sorely mistaken. Get out of my way." he laughed, not moving a bit.

"You know, I never understood why my men kept coming back empty handed. But you have this place working like a well oiled machine. Kudos to you on that. But we've got friends. Benefactors if you will. And they need some results. I imagine you've already got Wynonna squirrled away somewhere we can't find her. Her little sister works just as well."

"Bobo Del Rey." Seriously? Could no one follow a simple order? Henry came out of nowhere, guns drawn.

"Doc." She still hadn't quite figured out what history the two of them had, but it seemed to be enough to distract Bobo. That was all she needed. She stepped around him as he stepped toward Henry. Let the work that out.

"Waverly!" She shouted, looking around. There were books all over the floor and a couple of the tables were overturned. No response. She wove through, heading to the back where Waverly's table was.

"Seriously Mars? Can't you and your brother get lives? See some sights! Tell your bosses to screw off and live your lives."

"What do you know about our bosses?"

"Funny story. Up until a few hours ago, no a thing. You'll never believe this. Wynonna actually helped me figure it out some. Not that she knows it. But it's the Clanton's right? Whatever is left of them at least." Nicole crept around one of the shelves. Waverly was standing on the table, brandishing a broken chair in front of her. Of all the ridiculous things to use as a weapon.

"At least one of you is smart. Too bad it's not you in charge of this place. Maybe we'd leave it alone."

"Hey, Wynonna is plenty smart. We have our own strengths. Don't judge her too much. Now grab your brother and get the hell out of here. Please?" She added. Nicole shook her head. Of course she was trying to reason with him. The diplomatic approach all the way. Up until it didn't work. Mars just laughed at her and lunged forward. Waverly didn't even hesitate. She easily dodged out of the way and hit him with the chair like it was a baseball bat. Poor chump didn't even see it coming. He stumbled back, somehow still conscious.

"Nicole, are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me out here?"

"I don't know. I think you've got it handled. I'd be totally fine leaving the room right now. Totally unsupervised." Mars took a couple steps forward before stumbling back and landing hard on his butt.

"Yeah. Sure you will. Alone with the loon who's been trying to ruin us for years now. Come on." Nicole stepped around him, shaking her head a little. She put her hands on Waverly's waist and lifted her up and off the table.

"Are you okay?" She asked, holding her close for a second.

"I'm fine. No one bothers to look in the library when they attack. Even knowing everything about me, no one looks here. I heard the noise and figured staying put was the best option. I knew you'd get to me." She looked over when Mars groaned a little bit from his spot on the floor, "Think he's going to be okay?"

"I'm sure he'll be fine. They've got thick heads. Now we need to get you to your sister and get this whole mess sorted out."

"You know, it sort of sounds like it might've worked itself out. I can't hear anymore fighting." She was right. She hadn't even noticed.

"We're still going to get you somewhere that's actually safe and go from there. Before your sister comes out ready to shoot the first thing she sees." She didn't let go of Waverly's hand as she went back to the door. Mars really wasn't a problem right now so she didn't mind having him somewhere behind them. No one was in the hall. Things were smashed to bits, but nothing else.

"Hello? Anyone out here? Doesn't sound like it. Don't mind me, just looking for my baby sister."

"Wynonna what the hell? I told you to stay put!"

"Until we got an all clear. Which we did. From Xavier."

"How is that possible? We just left Mars in the library. And he had no idea I have Waverly."

"I don't know. I was given the okay and you bet I ran out of there. Waves, are you good?"

"I'm fine Wynonna. Totally fine. Not a scratch."

"Awesome. So, I'm going to take my baby sister back to our safe little panic room and you are going to do your professional sweep of the entire palace. We will wait for your return. See you later." Wynonna grabbed Waverly's other hand and slowly pulled her away.

"One sec Wy." Waverly stood on her tiptoes and gave Nicole a kiss, "My hero. Get back to us when you can and I'll make sure all your scrapes and cuts are taken care of."

"Gross. Good luck Captain." Nicole watched them walk off. There was a door close by that she knew they could get to easily. She turned around, heading back to the library. She could at least take care of one brother. If he were still there.

"You've gotta be kidding me." Next time she needed to remember to grab some restraints before running to fight anyone. It was just unprofessional. That was one room checked over. She started sweeping each room she passed, looking for Xavier or Henry. All her guards seemed more or less alright and functional. The ones she passed doing their own checks. She nodded at each of them.

"Captain! There you are. The brothers escaped, along with several of their mercenaries. But we have plenty in custody now." Xavier and Henry were in the throne room, talking to a couple others.

"Henry, what the hell was that? I told you to stay with Wynonna. That was a direct order."

"I do apologize Captain. But Wynonna ordered me to, and I quote, 'Get my accented ass out there to show these thugs how a real man fights'." It was a subpar excuse and they both knew it, but she sort of owed him.

"Fine. This one time, I'll let it slide. And Xavier? Did you give Wynonna the all clear so she could roam the halls? There was no way everything was properly taken care of."

"I knew she was going to pin that on me. She heard me say 'all clear' without the rest of the sentence. I turned around and she was gone. But it was Waverly. There was no way she was going to sit around much longer, waiting. It's not how she works." These two. The best of the best and this is what she got. And they were somehow perfect for their jobs. No one else would've been able to handle any of this with such ease.

"I know. But we're doing a proper check now correct? Every room, nook, and cranny? Properly barricading the front door so it can't happen again? Shuffling out apparent prisoners off to their new homes?"

"Yes, yes, and yes. Nicole, go back to them. We've got this covered. Your bleeding in several places and need to sit down. We've heard you tore through at least half of the assailants."

"Sure. Half of them. That's realistic." But it would explain why she was sore all over.

"Go." She looked around. People were already starting to clean up. One of the perks to having a mostly empty palace

"Fine. But first thing in the morning, we are going over _everything_. And then borrowing Waverly and her research on a family called the Clantons, apparently."

"Fine. In the morning." She reluctantly left them in charge, making her way back to the safe room.

"Nicole, there you are! Everything okay out there?" Waverly wrapped her arms around her neck, stretching a little.

"So far, yes. Xavier and Henry are finishing it all up. I'm going to sit down here with you two," she trailed off, looking around, "Where's Wynonna?"

"Don't be mad. But she said she wanted to give us privacy and bailed when she heard you coming. She's got her own private little panic room she's perfectly content with spending the rest of the night in."

"Does no one listen to a word I say after midnight?" She sat down on one of the cots.

"They ignore you because they care. Now sit still. We're going to get all of these covered properly. You're getting blood everywhere."

"You make it sound like I've been stabbed. This, this is nothing. I've been shot before, remember." Waverly pulled the first aid kit out and sat beside her.

"I was there. I remember. And somehow, that was more romantic than this." Nicole winced when Waverly started cleaning the couple spots on her arm, "Though, maybe we could discuss a uniform change. Casual Friday's are a great way to bring everyone together aaand you can't get much more casual than this." Her hand lingered on Nicole's arm.

"I'm pretty sure there are several reasons why this would not fly."

"Sure. But if the princess asks nicely, maybe everyone will get on board." Waverly smiled at her. She was okay. Totally safe. And they were getting married. Nicole moved the first aid stuff out of the way, with some help from gravity, and moved Waverly into its spot on her lap. Waverly didn't need much more urging than that. She put her hands on Nicole's neck and kissed her. Everything would be more than fine. As long as she had Waverly.


	3. You'd Do That For Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The stupid Del Rey brothers almost derailed the wedding. Almost. Nicole was all for postponing it, but Waverly convinced her otherwise. The palace was cleaned up nicely, scratches were patched over, the doors fixed enough. They were getting married tomorrow. And it was going to be perfect. Just had to get through one more day.

"Nicole, seriously, everything is going to be fine tomorrow. We're going to wake up, eat breakfast, go for a stroll, separate to get ready, meet up at the end of the aisle, aaand get married." Waverly looped her arm through Nicole's as they walked down the hall.

"Oh, that simple? Really?" Nicole looked over her shoulder. She'd been a little jumpy since they'd woken up. It made sense, but she hated seeing her like this. Those stupid brothers ruined everything.

"Yes. That simple. We'll get married in the damn safe room if we have to. But we're not going to have to do that. Jeremy said that everything is still perfect and on track."

"I know. I know it'll be okay. But what if it isn't? What if they get back in here? What if they hurt you?"

"Hey. I handled myself just fine last night."

"I know. Standing on a table, using a damn chair as a weapon." Nicole laughed. There the dimples were.

"Wanna go bother Wynonna? Enjoy some sisterly bonding? Because I don't think Xavier or Henry are going to let you anywhere near your office today. Your vacation started the minute you left them in charge." It was a lame attempt to distract her, but she had to try something.

"Sure, why not. Should probably make sure she hasn't fallen off a chair anywhere." They wandered around, finally finding Wynonna in her room, trying to organize some of her stuff.

"Howdy do lovers. Have a pleasant early morning? I see Haught is nice and patched up." Most of Nicole's scrapes and scratches had been superficial and hadn't needed covered. Just a couple marks on her arms. And the bruise on her face. There was no fixing that just yet.

"It was pleasant enough. We could give you the details if you really want to know." Nicole wove her fingers through Waverly's, smiling now. Wynonna shook her head quickly, pretending to gag a little bit.

"Nope, I'm good. I'll take your word for it and move on with my life. So what're you two up to on this fine day?" Waverly could see her give up. She tossed the handful of clothes in her hands back into the pile beside her, "Screw it. They're clean and I know it."

"We're not really doing much of anything. Just making sure somebody doesn't overthink things."

"Good luck with that. We may be the royals here, but she is the queen of overthinking. Buuut, I know what can help with that." Waverly couldn't help laughing when Wynonna crawled under her bed, clearly on the hunt for something. She glanced up at Nicole, who seemed just as amused. Wynonna cheered from where she was and started squirming back out. Started to. Didn't get far, "Shit. If you two are still out there, not staring into each other's eyes, could you help me out here?"

"I don't know Wynonna. Your ass may be top shelf, but have you seen your sister's eyes?"

"Hey, she is standing right there. You're not supposed to compliment me so vividly. How else are we supposed to keep our torrid affair a secret? C'mon. It's like you don't even care about my feelings." She wiggled a little bit more, but was stuck on something. Waverly sighed and grabbed onto one of her legs. Nicole grabbed the other, enjoying this immensely.

"About that. Sorry Wy, but we really need to have a chat about that. It really just isn't appropriate. I mean, I do love you. But I love her more. We're just going to have to settle with being sisters. On three?" Nicole asked, looking over at Waverly, all dimples and puppy dog eyes. Waverly nodded.

"One." Wynonna started for them.

"Two."

"Three!" They both pulled, maybe a bit more than was necessary, and Wynonna came sliding out, holding a bottle close to her chest to protect it. She rolled onto her back, smiling widely.

"Damn. Any more aggressive and I might stretch another inch or two. But thank you. And Haught, I agree. We can't keep doing this."

"Great. We can still be best friends though." Nicole held out her hand, pulling Wynonna up.

"I can live with that. Now, best friend, this is how we make sure you calm your ass down and relax before the big day tomorrow." Wynonna held up the mostly full bottle. Of course she had it under her bed. Waverly was surprised it hadn't been under the pillow.

"Really? You want me to drink?"

"Hey, you're a hoot when you drink. You may not remember some of the instances, but I do. And they were glorious. Particularly when you start mixing up your words. Classic. You too Waves. We'll call this a bachelorette party. For both of you. Just the three of us. What'd'ya say?" Nicole hesitated. Waverly knew that face. She wanted to have fun, she really did, but being a responsible adult was holding her back a little.

"You know what Wynonna, bring it on." Waverly took the bottle and took a big drink before she could back out. God Wynonna had such weird taste in alcohol. But it was doable. She held it out to Nicole.

"Alright, fine Let's have some fun. To hell with the Del Rey brothers and the Clanton family they apparently work for!" Nicole took a much bigger drink than Waverly had.

"Hey, easy there! I would like some as well." Wynonna snatched it back. And they continued drinking it. Taking turns, playing games, and yes, even drunk, Nicole still had her head on a swivel, making sure everything was okay.

"Haught, have I ever mentioned that you're a cute drunk?" Wynonna asked, hanging off the side of her bed. Nicole shrugged, staring at Waverly now.

"Have I ever told you that you're so pretty and I love you so much?" Waverly laughed a little.

"You're drunk."

"Only a little bit. This much." she held her hand up, slurring her words just a little. The brothers must've really gotten to her if she was drinking this much. But if it helped her feel better before morning, great.

"Sure. Keep telling yourself that. But maybe it's time to cut you off. Just a little bit. Because you are not going to show up at our wedding hungover."

"Fine. If you're going to take away the alcohol, c'mere then." Waverly moved onto the floor and sat herself down in front of Nicole. She leaned her head back, resting it on her shoulder. Nicole wrapped her arms around her, holding her close. Who needed bonus blankets when your finacee was as hot as her name.

"You two are gross. Super excited that you're getting hitched later though. Makes all this space invasion much more appropriate." Wynonna waved at them, "If I cared. Now, I think it's getting a little late. Haught, go sleep this off. Waves, don't leave her alone this time. Kay? I'm not sure she's sober enough to find her room."

"Hey! It's down the hall to the left."

"Right baby. It's right. I'll see you in the morning Wynonna. At breakfast."

"Sure, sure." Wynonna waved at them. Waverly was pretty sure she was stuck. She sighed, standing up reluctantly, "Sleep tight Captain Giant! Looking forward to tomorrow!"

"Me too! I'm going to marry Waverly!"

"Yes, yes you are. Let's go babe. Get you into bed." Waverly pulled her up slowly

"Bed is nice. Soft, warm, big enough for two." Nicole bent down as they walked, nuzzling her nose into Waverly's neck.

"It sure is. And I'll be there the whole time. Here we are." The door was propped open, thank goodness. Holding Nicole upright and opening a door at the same time was not going to happen. Nicole pulled her into the room, laughing at nothing, "Alright, let's get these shoes off so you can sleep. Okay?" Nicole sat down, waving her feet around.

"Okay. I don't think I can reach these laces without falling over. Help me out?"

"Duh. Hold still." she grabbed one foot, keeping her face away from the other one still swinging back and forth. The laces were incredibly tightly tied, but she managed to get them both off of her. Nicole wiggled her toes.

"Thanks Waves. Come on. Lay down. We're getting married tomorrow and I want you right next to me." Nicole laid down and held her arms open. Waverly slipped her shoes off and crawled up next to her. Nicole wrapped her arms around her again, rolling over a little bit.

"I'm not going anywhere. Not this time." she turned her head and gave Nicole a small kiss.

"Awesome. G'night Waverly Earp."

"Goodnight Nicole Haught." It didn't take long for Nicole to pass out, not with how strong Wynonna's drinks were. Waverly sighed, more comfortable here than she had ever been anywhere else. Getting married was going to be the easiest thing she'd ever done.

"Waverly, why did you let me drink so damn much?"

"I didn't. You just hadn't eaten a lot and it hit you harder than either of us could have anticipated. Not my fault. Now drink your coffee and tell your hangover to beat it. We've got a big day ahead of us."

"Yeah, c'mon Haught. I thought you were tougher than this. At least act like your head isn't pounding."

"It's not. Much. Just, inside voice for like an hour and it'll be fine."

"You make it sound like I'm shouting. This is my normal voice. It just happens to be louder than others." Wynonna took some bacon off Nicole's plate, "Alright. You two go on your morning walk, and then I get Waverly."

"Deal. C'mon. To the garden!" Waverly pulled Nicole out, making sure she didn't jostle her coffee mug. Nicole laughed and waved at Wynonna and Xavier. Henry was running last minute wedding details.

They walked a few laps, stopping by the pond, looking at the birds, grabbing some flowers.

"Okay. I need to get back to Wynonna. She's going to want to spend _some_ time with me today. See you later?" she held Nicole's hands, smiling up at her.

"I'll be the one waiting at the end of the aisle. With one of these flowers just to make sure you know it's me." She took one from her and carefully put it behind her ear.

"Perfect. Can't wait." Before letting her walk away, Nicole cupped her face and leaned down, kissing her.

"At the end of the aisle." She reiterated before walking the other direction. Waverly smiled, watching her for a couple seconds. They were getting married. She turned around and made her way to her room. Wynonna was already there, pulling the dress out of the closet and kicking some shoes around.

"Hey, easy with those. I've gotta wear something on my feet later." Wynonna jumped a little before turning to face her. She was smiling, through some tears.

"There she is. There's my little sister. Ready to get married to the woman she loves."

"Wynonna, hey. It's okay." She'd sort of been expecting this, but not quite this early. She hugged her sister, feeling her eyes well up too. If Wynonna was going to cry, no point holding it back now.

"I know, I know. I'm just so damn happy for you. All these years you've been alone and I was worried it was going to be that way forever. I didn't want that. I wanted you to be happy. And God, Haught makes you so fucking happy. It's insane how happy she makes you. I didn't know a person could be this blarfingly happy and in love. Here. Start getting dressed. We've only got a few hours."

"You say that like it's not a lot of time." But she took the dress and started changing anyways. She didn't want to chance anything delaying her.

"Still perfect. Practically an angel."

"You say that all the time."

"Yeah well, maybe you'll start believing it. Okay. So, you've got your something old. That headband, mine and I will want it back. And this, this is something blue, handmade I might add. Cute little sash." Wynonna pulled a thin strip of blue fabric out of her dresser, "A little belt. Splash of color that'll go with your beloved's hair so very well."

"Okay. So what's my something new? Can't have three of the four things, doesn't make any sense then."

"Pretty sure that ring on your finger counts. It'll get a nice little companion and voila. New is covered. Put on your shoes and gimme a spin. Let's see it." Wynonna handed her the shoes, waiting patiently. Waverly slipped them on and did, in fact, spin a few times.

"Perfect. And the timing couldn't be better. Ready to do this?" Waverly looked at her sister. Wynonna hadn't stopped smiling the entire time, "Have I told you that you're my favorite person in the whole wide world?"

"Once or twice. But yeah. Let's do this."

"Alright baby girl. Earp Sisters together all the way." They headed out, towards the throne room. They'd decided on using the little antechamber beside it. It was protected, just in case, big enough for the few of them that would be there. Perfect. There was some music playing behind the door. Waverly took a deep breath. This was the easy part. Wynonna gave her a second and then opened the door.

Jeremy had outdone himself with setting up. The flower arrangements were perfect and not overpowering. The lighting was as natural looking as it could be. The few chairs were fancy enough. And Nicole was standing at the end of the aisle. Just like she'd said she would. And she looked amazing. Waverly hadn't been sure if she was going to go with her formal uniform or a dress. She'd gone all out, fancy as hell, in an amazing dress. And the flower she'd picked earlier was attached to a piece of ribbon on her wrist.

"Damn Haught. I thought I was the biggest smoke show in these parts." Wynonna said. Xavier and Henry, in their formal uniforms, smiled from behind Nicole.

"Shut up and move your feet faster Earp. I would like to marry the vision on your arm." Wynonna sighed and straightened her shoulders. And they started walking to the music. It was a short aisle, but each step closer seemed to make her heart beat just a little faster. They stopped and Wynonna let her go, putting her hands in Nicole's. And then stepped around them so she was facing everyone else.

"Alright losers, as the one in charge of this rinky dink, backwoods kingdom, that means I get to perform weddings such as this. Since we weren't allowed to call in someone to do it. Thanks for the extra work by the way. Really loving the pressure here. Now, I know we want to move this along. Because I saw some cake being made and I want some of that. And I know these two would like me to stop rambling so they can be married. So, blah, blah, blah. Any of the four of you have any reason to not let these two dopes get married? Because if so, keep it to yourself or one of them might murder you. Waverly may look innocent, but that means you'd never see it coming. And Haught here, she probably knows several ways to make it look like an accident. And the two of them teaming up to annihilate you, hoo boy. You'd be screwed seven ways to Sunday. So don't do it." Wynonna looked back and forth at the men sitting in their chairs. No one had a thing to say, "Smart. Okay. I know you two decided to write your own vows, for whatever reason. So, Waves, because you're my favorite. You get to go first."

"Thank you Wynonna. Really appreciate it." She turned from her sister to face Nicole. God she was gorgeous. And didn't look a bit hungover. And the bruise on her chin, that just made her even more rugged and badass. She looked in her eyes and cleared her throat. She'd sort of memorized the vows she'd been working on since the day after Nicole had proposed.

"Nicole Rayleigh Haught. I'd call you my knight in shining armor, but we kind of did away with those uniforms ages ago. Really not practical at all. Good riddance and all that. So. We've known each other since we were kids. Throwing rocks and mud at each other. On and off as friends, never really closer than two people who live in the same place. Then you left. And that was it. Until it wasn't. You take protecting us to a whole new level. And I have never met anyone who is so dedicated to what they do. Or to the people around them. You may not show it, but I know that you love every single person in this room, and the few that weren't allowed, with your whole heart. From the tips of your toes to the very top of your very tall head. And I love you for that. I love that you care so much and try so damn hard and do your very best. Every single day. When anyone else would have thrown in the towel and quit on us by now. I love how let Wynonna pick on you, because that's what sisters do, without a single complaint. And usually with a comeback waiting. I just, I do. I really, really love you."


	4. A Laugh Like Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They're getting married. Holy hell, she's marrying Waverly. And in a week, they'll be bailing on all the madness for a honeymoon. Sure, it'll be short, but it'll just be the two of them. No Wynonna walking in at the worst possible time, no Del Rey's knocking down doors. None of that. Just gotta get through the next few days. Which will be easy. Because she'll be married to Waverly Earp.

"I just, I do. I really, really love you." Nicole hadn't stopped smiling since the sisters had walked in the door. She'd known Waverly was gorgeous, but seeing her in the most perfect white dress, it hit her again. This was the woman she was marrying. This was the woman she loved more than anything in the world.

"Barf. That was romantic baby girl. Alarmingly so. Why don't you ever show me that kind of affection? Even a little wouldn't be entirely inappropriate. Geez. Alright Haught. Your turn. Good luck following that up." She laughed. It wouldn't be a wedding with them if Wynonna wasn't making it her own.

"I'll try Wynonna. I'll do my best." Nicole looked intently at Waverly. She hadn't strayed from her face once. That smile was all she really needed. She took a deep breath.

"Waverly Earp. The 'other' princess. The nicest person in Purgatory with the sash to prove it. For most of my life, I really did only see you as Wynonna's little sister. And I kick myself every morning for not realizing sooner that you are extraordinary. You are the most kind-hearted, research happy, _loving_ person I have ever met. You are also one of the strongest. You're there for Wynonna and anyone else who needs someone to listen. You hear every little problem and do it with a smile. And usually a snack, for some reason. You don't let all of this craziness bring you down for more than a day. Because, let's be honest, if some of these things didn't bother you, I'd be a little concerned. I look forward to the days now, knowing that you're somewhere in the palace, humming some random tune, reading a book in a language no one else understands. I have never loved anyone the way that I love you. And I can't wait to spend the rest of my life waking up with your beautiful smile right beside me." she finished in a rush, a little breathless. She'd been rehearsing that for weeks now. Had been terrified she was going to mess them up somehow. But she'd done it. Gotten every word right.

Waverly was beaming, eyes shining just a bit.

"Well alright. Damn. I'm not sure which of you nailed that best. Well done. So, now that those are out of the way, we can move right along. So, Waverly, you love Red Head here, right? Wanna be game night partners for eternity?" Waverly laughed, that most amazing sound.

"I do Wynonna. I absolutely do."

"God I hope so. Or we need to have a real chat. 'Kay. Nicole, you love this short stack here and want to spend the forever and ever with her?"

"Absolutely." Wynonna had barely finished talking before she answered.

"Sheesh. We get it. You're in love. You gotta let me finish the important lines to make this truly official. But fine. You waited a half second long enough. So, I believe that is it. Got the 'I do's'. The vows. Everyone had their chance to speak up, several times over. Did I forget anything?" Wynonna looked around, actually asking it seemed.

"Not this time. Hurry it along, or you may be the one they murder." Jeremy said from his chair, holding Robin's hand tight.

"Fine, fine. I'm just making sure. Because I really don't want to do this again. Far too much pressure. Okay. So. By the powers vested in me by my last name and the lack of parental figures who gave a damn, I now pronounce you wife and wife. Yippee and all that. Now, for the love of everything holy, quit making those googly eyes at each other and kiss the other bride." Wynonna backed up, clapping her hands together dramatically.

"You don't need to tell me twice." Nicole said, barely audible. She pulled Waverly close and dramatically dipped her and kissed her long and hard. The cheers around them, from the people they loved, barely registered. It was all just Waverly. She pulled her back upright, holding her close, smiling widely. Waverly laughed a little, just a bit red in the face, arm around her waist.

"Awesome. Because why leave your relationship to the imagination. Thanks for that visual Haught. But yay. Awesome. Married!" Wynonna came up behind them, putting an arm around each of their shoulders. Everyone else took that as their cue and joined in on the group hug, laughing and crying just a little bit. Married. They were married.

"Wynonna, Mercedes will be here in the morning. With plenty of time to spare before the party so you two can preparty all you want." Nicole answered, her fingers twined with Waverly's at the table.

"You know me so well. Almost as if we're sisters now." Wynonna threw an apple stem at her. Nicole dodged easily enough. Even sober she was a terrible shot. And she'd been completely sober for five days now. Suddenly taking an interest in the kingdom histories, eager to learn about the Clanton's, since apparently they were back to screw everything up. And Nicole had been around almost the entire time as well. Her captain duties were kept light, but some things still needed her input before she left. Dealing with the new prisoners, getting the new front doors fitted and installed properly. Fun things like that. But come tomorrow night, not a bit of it would be her problem for a few days.

"Wynonna, I think anyone could assume that was your plan for tomorrow. Wynonna Earp doesn't do sober at parties. Not nearly entertaining enough." Waverly said, tracing a little circle on Nicole's hand. Nicole leaned over, resting her head on Waverly's. They'd slept in a little bit, but she just wanted to be as close to her as she could. It was still sort of processing that they were actually married. It had hit her at random times over the last few days. When Waverly had moved a strand of hair out of her face while showing something to Wynonna. When someone commented on the ring she'd finally left on her finger (she hadn't wanted to risk losing it before the big day). Every time she stopped back in her room to grab something and Waverly's extra blankets were bunched up on her side of the bed. And every freaking night, it hit her like Bobo's elbow, when she fell asleep listening to Waverly's calm, quiet breathing.

"Haught, pay attention. Geez. You act like you haven't seen her in forever. You've been together since you bailed on our mini reception."

"Shush Wynonna. Leave us be. We are very much in our honeymoon phase here. Avert your eyes. Or accept it for just a little while longer."

"Oh, you mean you'll have cooled off when you get back? Please? Because if I have to walk by that apparently thin door, and hear things no sister should ever hear again, I don't know what I'm going to do."

"Invest in earplugs." Nicole suggested, looking right at her before kissing Waverly, her wife.

"Now you're just being mean. You condone this Waverly? I thought you loved me."

"I do, I promise. But I love her too. See?" Waverly laughed when her sister roller her eyes, kissing Nicole this time. If this was married life, it was going to be a breeze.

"Okay. So we're leaving at the end of the reception right?" Waverly asked again, throwing a(nother) sweater into her bag.

"That is the plan. Xavier and Henry have everything divided between themselves, our ride will be ready and waiting for us, and Wynonna has promised to not pass out until after we leave."

"Perfect. And everyone got here alright? No troubles with annoying brothers or apparent family enemies?"

"Yes and correct. Randy and Chrissy waltzed in this morning, almost like that was the time we gave them. Mercedes, as you know, got here last night and has been having the time of her life. Gus, Curtis, Shorty, Rosita, Kate, accounted for. My family, not invited because who needs them. Forgetting anyone?"

"Didn't sound like it. Alright, I think I'm good. Let's go join the festivities. They are for us after all."

"Ugh. Do you know how much I just want to grab you and run? Get this honeymoon going now?" She pressed her forehead against Waverly's breathing her in, smiling.

"That would break Wynonna's heart and you know it."

"I know. I'm not cruel. Let's go. Party it up." She left their bags sitting by the door for Lonnie to pick up for them. One less thing to worry about before leaving. They made their way to the throne room, the easiest place to have a party for so few people. A few tables set up to the side and bam, party venue. They heard the music and laughter.

"Ready?" Waverly asked, tightening her grip on her hand.

"For this and everything else."


End file.
